Itís really shame and disgusting. Tennis is one of the most expensive sports in the United States after Golf. What I hate the most is the fact that people who are not familiar or knowledgeable with the sport think tennis is for everyone and that every kid has a chance to succeed in this expensive sport. Most people have naively fell into the orchestrated propaganda about MARIA SHAVAPORA and the Williamsí sisters. Believe me both are fabricated stories and the reality is children of parks and recreation have no chance succeeding in this sport. My parents went totally bankrupt trying to pay for my sisters and my tennis. To bring one kid who has talent, desire and passion to top 300 in the world you need at least half a million dollars. And there is no one and no organization out there to help you till you make it to the top 200 in the world.

I daughter has just started playing tennis she is Seven, And yes I agree tennis is expensive,
I pay 20 pounds a lesson for One hour with a junior coach; My Daughter must have potential because the LTA have become involved and are now telling me if she wants to make a player she needs three lessons a week…..
What the F…………….. I don’t know what to do ……..help

Three lessons a week seems like overkill. I often like to quote Robert Landsdorp to my prospective clients. He has always said that one (maybe two) lessons per week is enough. The trick is playing and/or hitting several times a week in addition to the private lesson. You have to give the players (especially young players) a chance to develop on their own. Because it can be difficult for young players to find the time (or the partners) to hit daily, I do generally recommend that in addition to one private lesson per week, that the student also does at least one group clinic per week as well. It can still be kind of expensive, but no where near as expensive as three private lessons per week.

Itís really shame and disgusting. Tennis is one of the most expensive sports in the United States after Golf. What I hate the most is the fact that people who are not familiar or knowledgeable with the sport think tennis is for everyone and that every kid has a chance to succeed in this expensive sport. Most people have naively fell into the orchestrated propaganda about MARIA SHAVAPORA and the Williamsí sisters. Believe me both are fabricated stories and the reality is children of parks and recreation have no chance succeeding in this sport. My parents went totally bankrupt trying to pay for my sisters and my tennis. To bring one kid who has talent, desire and passion to top 300 in the world you need at least half a million dollars. And there is no one and no organization out there to help you till you make it to the top 200 in the world.

JunBug;
Yes, I do have a proof, what have you heard so far about Maria? What did you hear the commentator said, when she won her first grand slam, basically, “Maria and her Dad came to America with $700 in their pocket and they walked into Nick Bollettieri’s Tennis academy, knock on Nick’s door and Nick gave her a scholarship to the academy.” But honestly this is all orchestrated by IMG big propaganda machine. The actual story is as below:
“In 1994 Sharapova and her father arrived at the Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, but they were told that admission to the school was by invitation only, and that the seven-year-old girl was too young to enter anyway. They remained in Florida, and a coach was found for her while her father worked as a waiter and took odd jobs to support them. She learned English in just four months, and her tennis skills steadily improved. At the age of nine, she and her father went back to the Bollettieri Academy, and she proved herself so well on a tryout that she was given a full scholarship to the $46,000-a-year school. The Academy was part of the International Management Group (IMG), a talent agency that handled the careers of entertainers and athletes, and its scouts likely recognized Sharapova's potential for future stardom.
Around this same time, Yelena Sharapova finally received her visa and was able to join her husband and daughter, ending a two-year separation. But when Sharapova entered the Bollettieri Academy, she had to live in its boarding school. She later hinted in interviews that it was a tough, competitive atmosphere, and she was sometimes the target of bullying by the older girls. Her days included regular academic classes and as many as six hours a day on the tennis courts in practice sessions. At the age of eleven, she signed on with coach Robert Lansdorp, who had guided the careers of Sampras as well as Tracy Austin (1962&#226;€“), a two-time U.S. Open winner, and Lindsay Davenport (1976&#226;€“), who won three Grand Slam events between 1998 and 2000. Sharapova also signed with IMG around this time, and this paved the way for her first deal with Nike, the athletic shoe and clothing maker.
Sharapova won her first junior championship title at the age of thirteen. Two years later, she made it to the finals of the Australian Open Junior championship, which was her best ranking in tennis to date, and entered her first adult professional.”
No one ever mentions that Maria had a million dollar contract at a age of 9 with IMG and she was travelling back and forth to LA to work with Robert Lansdorp. And you will never hear that Maria was involved in the sport of Croquet which is the most expensive sport before she even started tennis. There was used to be a video of her at the below site:
Maria Sharapova Plays Croquet? Who Knew!? - AOL Videog
Which is taken down and there was also a big article about her in the sport illustrator which you won’t be able to find it anymore. Sport in America has become a political propaganda and what you hear out there is not even a 10 percent truth.

Jeanne;
That’s how I was used to feel and think when I was 12, as far as your parents have half a million dollars it’s Ok to think that way. Sooner or later you will learn, tennis is not about how talented and how dedicated you are, it’s about how much money is behind you. For a dedicated player to make it to the top 50 in the world. you need about $500k